Nina Dobrev, Zac Efron on yacht, friends say they are not dating

Nina Dobrev was photographed smiling and spending time with longtime friend Zac Efron and several celebrity pals during a yacht outing off the Italian coast in mid-September, fueling fresh dating speculation just days after news of her split from fiancé Shaun White. The pair were seen swimming, talking closely and laughing alongside Miles Teller and his wife, as well as Chace Crawford and his girlfriend, in images and social media posts from the group trip.

Photos from the outings showed Dobrev, 36, in a cutout black swimsuit and floral sundresses, and Efron, 37, shirtless in swim trunks at times and appearing with recently bleached blond hair. At different moments he was photographed taking pictures of Dobrev in the water and chatting with her on the yacht. The group’s activities included snorkeling, jet skiing and paddle boarding, and they were later photographed attending a wedding in the south of France where they appeared in mutual friends’ social posts.

The images prompted widespread conjecture about the nature of Dobrev and Efron’s closeness, but multiple people close to the actors pushed back on dating claims. An insider told reporters that “Nina and Zac are not dating...